Emergent Design Thinking, Rigorous Research, and Perseverance: Comments from a Keynote Address

Abstract

This invited article is a follow-up to the 2022 keynote address given to the Midwestern Education Research Association. This article reviews national, contemporary challenges to conducting applied education research. It also reviews broad principles that might help one continue to conduct high-quality research, namely: embracing emergent design thinking, flexibility, and perseverance.